On Sunday, December 7th Bikes Not Bombs volunteers will load a 40' shipping container full of bicycle aid for the Village Bicycle Project in Ghana. We start at 10:30 am and work until we finish, which we expect to be 3:30 or 4:00pm. We'll take a break around 1pm for a pizza lunch (provided) and a short talk about the project. Volunteers can come for any part of this time that works for you. Experience not required. We'll be moving, sorting, and loading bikes, wheels, and spare parts. You may wish to bring work gloves. This event happens rain or shine!

The Village Bicycle Project, (VBP) a non-profit based in the USA, is the largest receiver and distributor of BNB bikes. VBP is working with two Ghanaian businesses to bring the bikes though customs and to distribute them in the capital Accra and around the country. The Ghanaian companies provide bike maintenance workshops in many rural areas - 85 of these workshops are predicted for 2008, wherein 20 participants at a time take a day-long training on bike maintenance and are then eligible to purchase a bicycle for half the market rate for used bikes. The two Ghanaian companies also sell a portion of each shipment to local small bicycle micro-enterprises. In essence VBP and their Ghanaian counterparts have established a wholesale distributor network for used bikes and parts, a critical link in the transportation nexus for Ghana’s growing number of working poor cyclists. VBP also ships low cost specialty bicycle tools to support the growing structure of small bike businesses and do-it-your-selfers. BNB trained bike technician, Emily Lin, has worked with the VBP to establish three youth Earn-a-Bike programs in 3 Ghanaian communities. Visit VBP’s web site, www.VillageBicycleProject.org for more info.

Directions

This event does NOT happen at Bikes Not Bombs, but is just around the corner. We will be loading from a big parking lot at 179 Boylston St., Jamaica Plain, 2 blocks from the StonyBrook T stop on the Orange Line. Coming from the BNB HUB at 284 Amory Street, turn right on Amory. At the first traffic light turn right on Boylston Street (where the StonyBrook T stop is on your left) and then turn right into a large parking lot which is part of the Brewery Complex. You'll see our 40 ft. shipping container parked in this lot, just off the street.